Opinion: The Decline of Tobacco

Tobacco is dying. Or, more appropriately, the popularity of tobacco is dying. It’s really logical if you think about it. After all, right now smoking is considered one of the most unattractive things a person can do. Celebrities who smoke go to great lengths to hide it from the public eye. You do not see smoking on TV or even really in movies anymore unless it is painted in a negative light. Smoking is no longer cool. This is a fact that big tobacco companies have been struggling with for nearly twenty years now. Cigarette sales are way down.

At least, real cigarette sales are down. Sales for products like electronic cigarettes, however, are on the rise. E cigarettes have offered smokers the chance to feel like they are smoking without having to actually light up. They are mostly odorless and do not leave behind any litter such as butts or ashes. And for the most part, non smokers do not seem to mind them all that much. The fact is, they are not seen as real cigarettes.

Big tobacco companies are starting to look into smoke free alternatives to their products, such as the Verve lozenge which is essentially a nicotine cough drop that you have to spit out. This shows that perhaps even they know the decline of using actual tobacco is something to take note of. If even tobacco companies are starting to give up on actual tobacco products, then perhaps the time for products like e cigarettes to shine is finally upon us.